Highly protected ribbon for close-up use and live use with minimal proximity effect

Phantom powered electronics for optimal performance with any preamp

"The mics are a huge success! Our monitor guy and FOH guy want to have a pair each... :)"

Hanan Rubinstein, Alicia Keys' guitar player

A NUVO Approach to the Ribbon Mic

The AEA N22 was designed with the singer-songwriter musician in mind. Hard working artists that have honed their musical craft for years feel strongly about their personal tone, so they need a microphone that translates their signature sound in a recording. The N22 delivers on exactly those key points - providing a great ribbon tone without the need for EQ in most applications. Just like the RCA 44, the N22 was designed by listening first and measured only after experienced musicians and engineers confirmed that the microphone sounded great. Consequently, it is a professional tool that holds up to the highest standards of recording. Bridging the gap between vintage and modern, ribbon and condenser, studio and live, the N22 is the perfect companion for musicians and engineers alike.

The Big Ribbon™: reimagined

Featuring the same Big Ribbon™ technology that has earned AEA its reputation, the N22 offers an incredible sound in close-mic applications like acoustic and electric guitars, piano, vocals, and drums. With phantom-powered JFET electronics and a custom German transformer, the N22 achieves optimal performance with a wide range of preamps including USB or Firewire audio interfaces in home or project studio setups. The highly protected pure aluminum ribbon allows for using the N22 in live sound applications and vocal recording without the need for an additional pop-filter. The simplicity and the ease of use of the entire package allow the focus to be on capturing a great performance even in tight and difficult recording environments.

About the NUVO Series

The N22 is the first member of AEA's NUVO series of microphones. Rooted in the RCA tradition just like other AEA ribbons, all NUVO microphones are designed to offer a fresh approach to the ribbon transducer and represent Wes Dooley's take on the evolution of the ribbon microphone.

The NUVO Stereo Kit

AEA’s NUVO Series Stereo Kit enables serious musicians and engineers to rapidly set up and accurately record in stereo on a single stand. The NUVO Stereo Kit consists of either two matched N22s or two matched N8s, and comes with all of the accessories necessary to easily configure the figure-eight microphones in Blumlein and near-coincident. Using AEA's SMS Stereo Bar and NUVO Microphone Coupler enables the user to arrange their N22s in a precise and accurate Blumlein array.

The AEA sessions is a collaboration between filmmaker and recording engineer Alex Chaloff and AEA Microphones. The motivation behind this project is to pair highly stylized video with pristine audio to showcase some of the finest microphones and musicians in the world.

Sax Solo by Tucker Antell

Hear the N22 up-close on Tucker's sax while an R88 captures the nature ambience of the room.

The Briar and the Rose by The Lemon Trees

The Lemon Trees trio sing into a single N22 microphone while the R88 sits back in the room for ambiance. Note: Reverb was used in this video.

From Inside by Clinton Patterson

An A840 microphone captures Clinton's soul vocals while an N22 duties on the grille of the electric guitar amp.

La Bruja by by Vincente Chavarria

An R84 captures Vincente's vocals while an N22 picks up the guitar from the neck position.

Live Videos from the Shipping Room

“Live From The Shipping Room” is the collaborative effort of director Alex Chaloff and AEA which melds music and art articulated by AEA mics and preamps. This series weaves live performances of AEA’s favorite artists with interviews about their distinct style and sound and their quest to capture that sound. All the episodes are shot in AEA’s shipping room, which doubles as a finely tuned studio, designed by Ken Fause.

Sketch #15 by Gabriel Johnson

Sketch #9 by Gabriel Johnson

Sketch #11 by Gabriel Johnson

User Videos

No matter the genre, setting, or musical style, AEA ribbon mics and preamps cover all the bases. Check out some of our favorite videos of talented musicians around the world who have used our products in their videos.

N22 on electric guitar, snare, and percussion, R84 on vocals, R44 on trumpet and sax, N8s on backing vocals, piano, and hi-hat, R92 on bass, and R88 on overheads.

Mountain Animation - Way Too Much

Mountain Animation performs live with a KU4 on lead vocals, N22 on banjo and fiddle.

Live Videos

Many musicians use AEA ribbons and preamps when playing live shows to amplify and capture their true tone. Check out some of our favorite video performances of artists using AEA ribbon mics in a live setting.

AEA’s Fix it in the Mic video series is aimed at sharing the microphone secrets and tricks of industry professionals. Whether it’s a hidden gem from the history of ribbon mics or the latest chart-topping record, the series offers application specific insight into the depths of ribbon mic technology and how the masters use it.

AEA Fix It In The Mic - Hanan Rubinstein

Dealer Videos

AEA dealers are some of the most knowledgeable folks using our microphones and preamps. The following videos were created by our dealers to give insight on how to use AEA products.

Full Compass Presents: N22 vs A440 Proximity Effect

N22, R92, and R84 Shoot Out by Zen Pro

Sweetwater Minute featuring Jamestown Revival

Technical Videos

Hungry for more? Know your onions with these specialized videos that delve further into the technical details about AEA's ribbon mics and preamps.

"AEA’s reputation precedes them, so it was no surprise to me when I tried the N22 that it captured inputs with incredible warmth, clarity, and realism. Beyond the reliably beautiful sound, my favorite part of using the N22 in a live setting is watching house engineers’ expressions change from slight suspicion upon pulling the N22 out of its case, to surprise and approval once we start sound checking. Ribbon microphones have at times had a negative stigma in the world of live audio, but when you’re charged with accurately reproducing the inputs presented to you on stage you should be open to using any tool available. Ribbon mics are certainly part of my toolbox, and AEA makes some of the best."

Adam Granduciel, The War on Drugs

"The N8's and the N22's have become pretty much the standard for both the band's touring set up and day to day recording in my studio. As a Mono or stereo drum overhead, the N8 has become a no-brainer. I solo'd a mono n8 last week and it sounded like 'Us and Them.' Not bad!! The N22 is my first and usually final choice if I'm micing my HIWATT live on a stage or my Princeton or AC30 in the studio. Really special mics and a really special company. "

N22 Ribbon Mic Review / Recording Mag

Apr 2014,
Recording Mag,
by Paul Vnuk Jr.

"The N22 is not made to be a distance mic, it is meant to be used up close and personal. This is a ribbon that likes to get intimate with a source, and it is not picky if it's in a bedroom, basement, or big dollar facility. This is easily the most forgiving and intimate ribbon mic I have used. Its sound is equal parts beautiful, natural and well balanced. In more good news for songwriters wanting "one great mic", it's AEA's most affordable ribbon mic yet. If you think you don't like ribbon mics, if you've ever struggled with placing or getting the best sound from a ribbon when you're used to condensers... or if you're just plain in the market for a great mic that can tackle most vocal and guitar situations, strings, drum overheads, even voiceovers... please check out the N22. AEA are onto a great new (-vo) direction here."

N8 & N22 Ribbon Mic review / Electronic Musician

Aug 2015,
Electronic Musician,
by Gino Robair

"Remarkably, I had no issues while using the N22 and N8, no matter which preamps and interfaces I used, and that says a lot. After putting them up and setting levels, a slight bit of repositioning was all it took to get the sound I was looking for. Their tone accepts EQ tweaks well, but I found that careful placement was all I needed to get them to sound good in a mix. And despite the fact that AEA has marketed the N22 and N8 for the personal studio, both mi- crophones are pro-level products and worthy of professional recording situations. Depending on your recording needs, the N22 and N8 offer high- quality ribbon tone and resolution in an affordable and easy-to-use format."

N22 & N8 Ribbon Mic Review / Tape Op Magazine

Oct 2015,
Tape Op,
by Chris Koltay

“We went through a few of Chris's favorite mics that he's loved on his voice, but as anyone will tell you, the female voice is very different. All of the mics we tried were too thin or lacked detail and presence. After 30 minutes or so, I lost patience and grabbed an N8 from the drums and put a pop filter 12'' in front of it. The results were downright captivating. The openness of the N8 seemed to pull her voice through the signal chain in a really appealing way. Her vocals sat in the mix perfectly and had that same in-room vibe during playback.”

AEA N22 Review / Mix Magazine

Feb 2016,
Mix Magazine,
by Kevin Becka

"This kind of performance makes the N22 a no-brainer buy for a beginner or journeyman engineer who’s looking for a versatile mic that can stand alone, or work with others in the locker on a range of applications like acoustic guitar amps, upright bass and more. The only downside is that you’ll want two once you hear them in stereo."

Vocals

Thanks to the improved pop-protection of the N22 you can use the microphone at close distances just like you would choose for a condenser microphone. If you should still encounter problems with plosives, it is advised to use a pop-filter. The microphone has a vertical sweet spot that sits in the middle between the top and bottom edges of the black cloth covered grill basket. Every singer will move a bit while performing, but since the sweet spot is located in both the horizontal and vertical axes, it is fairly wide and forgiving. If you are recording a singer-songwriter who sings and play another instruments at the same time, you can make use of the exceptional rejection offered by the 90 degree “null” planes of the bidirectional pickup pattern to reject the other instrument in the vocal microphone.

Acoustic Guitar

When recording a solo guitar a good starting point is to position the N22 four to six inches (10-15 cm) away from the guitar roughtly pointing at the 12th fret or where the neck meets the body. The closer you move towards the sound hole, the more bass you will get. Again, if you are recording a singer-songwriter who sings and play another instruments at the same time, you can make use of the exceptional rejection offered by the 90 degree “null” planes of the bidirectional pickup pattern to reject the vocal in the guitar microphone.

Electric Guitar

The N22 can handle very high sound pressure levels and has improved wind protection, so it can absolutely handle loud electric guitars right on the grill of the amp. Identify where the center of the speaker cone is located and place the N22 a few inches (5-10 cm) away from the speaker pointing right at its center for a very direct, “in-your-face” sound. This is the spot where you will get the most high-frequency content. If it sounds too harsh, try moving the microphone to the side parallel to the speaker. You can also try positioning the N22 at an angle. You will find that small differences in positioning can make huge differences in the sound, so experiment until you find the spot you like.

Drums & Percussion

The N22 excels at close and medium miking of drums and percussion. A common use for the N22 is on kick drum. While it is never recommended to put a ribbon mic inside or in front of the kick drum port, positioning the mic a few inches away from the resonant head angled slightly down can capture a very natural sound. Make sure that you don’t feel an air blast on axis to the microphone. For extra protection, use an popscreen or one of our custom N22 windscreen’s designed by WindTech.

Engineers also love this mic on toms. The N22 excels both at capturing huge low end and upper midrange. A common technique is to angle the N22 so that it picks up the floor tom, but position it in a way that the ride cymbal is in the null. It can produce a huge thud that is very natural.